


Wrapped in guilt, sealed up tight

by Mallior



Series: Tony Stark's collection of stray superheroes - Limited Edition [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Post-Movie, Unbeta'ed, horribly OOC, ooc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-26
Updated: 2014-02-26
Packaged: 2018-01-13 21:32:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1241470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mallior/pseuds/Mallior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint hoped, after the whole ordeal with Loki, he can catch his breath. But how, when the only safe place he knew was full of people, who branded him as a traitor...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrapped in guilt, sealed up tight

**Author's Note:**

> The title from Shinedown's 45 (I'm horrible with titles...). The fic is unbeta'ed and English isn't my first language.

As he fell, he waited for bullets to rain down on him, but the only thing he felt was the cold. The cold winter air felt much worse now, as the dark gray concrete on the ground approached faster and faster...

But suddenly, something grabbed him around the chest and his descent slowed significantly with a rib crushing yank.

 

„We need to stop meeting like this Birdbrain, by the way, nicely timed jump. Green Giant just landed a moment after you take the swan dive.” said the slightly monotone voice behind him. A few moments later his combat boots touched ground as they landed, the repulsors of Tony's armor quieted.

 

„If my fuckin' quiver would have worked, I didn't have to throw myself off the fuckin' roof! I had one arrow, one! And this piece of shit malfunctioned and gave a fuckin' EMP arrowhead instead of a grappling one! So, the motherfuckin' swan dive wasn't part of the plan, but one arrow isn't enough when a horde of AIM minion swarms the roof!” Clint struggled to divest the quiver and when he succeeded, with an irate growl he threw it on the ground.

 

„SHIELD's R&D always this brilliant or...” Tony asked but the archer cut in.

„Not always, but maybe they have more important things than fix the reported errors of my weapon.”

„Repeat this to me, please.” Natasha's voice was perfectly even in his ear, while Clint internally winced at the bitterness in his own.

„Leave it, Widow...”

 

*~*~*~*

 

Tony cautiously shifted in the office chair, trying to be remain unseen. Well, Fury had one eye and currently that was trained on Barton...

„I am still waiting for an answer Agent. Why didn't you reported R&D?„ The archer fidgeted with the bow in his hands, eyes trained on the matte black table in front of him. „Barton, talk to me.” Clint's head snapped up, his face paled visibly. For a moment Tony thought he'll faint out the chair, but after a heartbeat, something shifted in his blue eyes, and his features hardened.

 

„Report to who, sir? Our little ragtag group still don't have a SHIELD liaison, and the senior agent from my last SHIELD mission said, it's my own problem.” He take a deep breath, seemingly reigning his temper before he continued. „I'm not a mechanic, and absolutely not a weapon engineer, so I have a malfunctioning quiver, my only luck that Stark had time to save my sorry hide. Sir.” His fingers flexed around the bow, distracting Tony from Fury's ever darkening face.

 

The billionaire fished his mobile from the pocket of his jeans and pulled up a blank document, he starting a list of materials. Composite, carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, maybe teflon, but no bakelite, too heavy...  
„Stark!” Tony flinched at Fury's voice and hid his phone under the table.

„Yes darling?” the little smile made the head spy more angrier or maybe it was his default setting?

„Care to share with the class? I have better things to do, than babysit your sorry asses, any comment on the mission?”

„No.”

„Good, now scram.” with that Fury got up and stalked out of the conference room.

 

Tony swiveled his chair in Clint's direction, but Natasha's frown from the archer's side made him hesitate for a moment.

„Hey Tweety, pack your nest and meet me at the hangar bay in fifteen minutes.” with a grin the billionaire abandoned the chair and jogged out of the room, ignoring Bruce's smile and the dumbfounded faces of the others.

 

On his way to the hangar, where he left his armor, Tony dialed the Tower, waiting for Jarvis to pick it up. After two ring the line connected and the A.I.'s voice greeted him.

„There was no change with the repulsor test in th last 3 hours, sir. The previously experienced problem with the energy influx is disappeared.”

„I missed you too, Jarv, but no, currently, I'm not interested in that experiment. I want you to search for light, heat-resistant, high-tensile and easily formed materials. Think in composites and elastomers, maybe carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer. Oh, and order pizza, two more that the usual, Bolognese and four cheese.” Tony stopped at the elevators, waiting for one.

„Ordered, sir.”

„Good, oh and be an angel, change Legolas and his pet spider's system access up to the other two.”

„The key cards will be available, when you arrive.”

„Thanks darling, meet you in half an hour.” With that, Tony ended the call, and stepped into the elevator, narrowly escaping the closing doors.

 

Moments later he stepped out the metal box, and continued his way. Fortunately Fury's minions didn't pay heed to him, and he made to the Quinjet without problem. The container with his armor stood next to the plane, where he left it, and after a few command from his mobile, it made itself movable. Thank God for wheels.

The pilot didn't even glanced in his direction, when he moved the case inside, and strapped it to the floor.

A few minutes later the others rambled in, the archer behind them, a duffle bag in his hand. Natasha didn't stopped, she made beeline to the cockpit, the ramp started closing.

 

Clint sat next to him as Tony buckled the safety belts on himself.

„Care to tell me, why I needed to come?” Asked the archer, the blue-gray eyes warily studying Tony's face.

„Let's see... Three weeks ago you almost broke your ribs, because, the back of your uniform got in the way and got yourself hanging from a steel beam. Last week, R&D fucked up the fletching on your arrows, you swore the entire time of the mission. And of course, today. Oh, and by the way, I have eyes... everywhere, my little robin. Need to elaborate on the incident with those assholes and their traitor nonsense from two days ago on the shooting range? I don't think so. But I really hate seeing people, who are willing to save my ass, in trouble. Especially in places where they should be safe. So, you are moving into the Tower, and you will help me design a bow and a quiver, because I can build a rocket with scrap yard junk, but archery isn't my cup of tea.” Tony's monologue made the agent speechless for a few heartbeat.

 

„It's okay, Agent Barton. Tony usually means good, but he needs to work on his communication.” Steve chimed in from the other side of the archer.

„It's a vile slander! Bruce, defend my virtue!” Tony cried in mock rage. The scientist only reaction was a tired sigh beside Steve.

„I... thank you, Tony. Really...” Clint's hand tightened on the strap of his duffle bag.

„Hey, it will be okay. Just keep your spider in her terrarium, please?”

„I can hear you, Tony.” Natasha's voice drifted out of the cockpit.

„Don't care, I'm still mad at you and I have Bruce and Steve, they will protect me!” the billionaire retorted with a grin on his face.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Clint just sat between a super soldier and a genius billionaire, and for the first time in months, he felt safe...

 

 

/END/


End file.
